Journey of the Pharaoh
by Akirys
Summary: First fanfic! The story doesn't end with Atem in the afterlife. The Egyptian version was harsh and dangerous, and many spirits were lost forever. Even if they did make to their Judgement, only the good souls went to Paradise-the bad were devoured. And as for Atem...well, he hasn't exactly been the best person, has he? He's Yami for a reason. Let's hope he's been good enough.
1. The Beginning

Crossing over into the afterlife was like being thrown in a pool of water. But not in a bad way- more like Atem had been on fire the last five thousand years, and the water finally doused the flames. He hadn't realized how stressful it had been on Earth, with the afterlife attracting his soul like a magnet, but the Millennium Puzzle keeping him tethered.

Atem was still in his Egyptian Pharaoh's garb, and his family and friends were still before him. Mahad, Seto, Isis, Mana. They stretched out their hands to him, inviting, laughing. Atem stood in front of them.

He tried to speak, but he couldn't find his Atem heard a grating noise behind him, and whirled around to see the Gateway grinding shut. He caught a glimpse of his friends- Tea, Tristan, even Kaiba, who was looking surly and still in denial- before the stone door shut, sealing him in and away from his friends. Forever.

_Yugi, _Atem thought. He desperately hoped his friend, his partner, his _host, _was all right. And he didn't mean host like Yami Bakura had. No, with him, Bakura was simply a vessel, and Bakura's soul a nuisance. Atem meant host in a completely different sense. Yugi had solved the Puzzle, taken him in, and given him the best treatment possible. And Atem, in return, had as a guest made sure to treat Yugi's body and soul with the most respect possible. Well, except few Mind-Crushes. And then there was that whole Seal of Orichalcos thing…

He turned back to his Egyptian friends. As hard as it was to bear leaving his new friends, he had to admit that the call of the afterlife and of the people from his past were much stronger.

(Plus, Seto the Priest was much less of a jerk than modern Kaiba was.) Besides, even if Atem did stay with Yugi and the others, they wouldn't last forever. Eventually, they would die too. Then Atem would be back to square one- only there might not be anyone left to open the Gateway properly that time.

Mana mouthed, _Pharaoh!_-apparently she and the others couldn't speak. She held out her hand to him and beamed. Atem had a sudden thought. Mana still looked the same age as she had been when he had last saw her- could she really have died so young? He shook the the thought out of his head. Possibly she was just appearing to him the way she was most familiar. Atem smiled and stretched out his hand.

Then everything went wrong.

The whole void shuddered and went dark. Well, not exactly. The white space abruptly turned a shade of silver. Atem suspected that the whole cavern had been sealed. He knew that once the necessary soul-his-was in the afterlife, what or whoever controlled the cave would let it collapse to further hide the Gateway and the Millennium Items. He was just starting to wonder if all his modern friends had gotten out safely when every one of his friends and family opened their mouths in unison, like they were trying to call out _Atem! _and vanished like smoke.

Atem tried to cry out, but, like them, his voice no longer worked. It wasn't because of emotion anymore. He was about to run to the spot his loved ones had been standing before, but then the sensation started- like falling down a long way, only from every direction. There was no air pressure, wind chill, anything, so Atem couldn't even tell what direction he was going. The only change in scenery was a couple of distant gold dots- maybe other spirits?- lost in the ocean of silver. Then suddenly he stopped, like he had just hit bottom, or top, or whatever. The entire void flickered from silver to gold, and Atem immediately felt the effects. He was even deeper into the afterlife than before. If coming into the white and silver light was little putting out a fire, this was like slipping out from under the weight of the sky. Atem sighed in relief and began to totally relax for the first time.

It didn't last long. The whole void tipped upside down (or it could have been right side up, or sideways even- it was impossible to tell) and Atem suddenly remember the stories his father told him about the Land of the Dead. To get there was a treacherous, horrible journey- that wasn't even counting the Judgement.

Atem's last thoughts before everything turned black were: _I hope the start of your new life is easier than the start of my afterlife, Yugi. This is only the beginning of the end._


	2. The Land of the Dead

Atem came to on a black-sand beach, sitting cross-legged in front of a strange river. It was about 15 feet wide, and while the edges were dark and murky, down the middle was a streak of clear blue water that sparkled with no sun. It was as if someone had taken a huge paintbrush and wiped a shining stripe right in the river's center. Left and right, the river and beach went on for as far as Atem could see. The opposite bank of the river was shrouded in silvery mist.

Behind him, there was a forest with tall, thick trees. While the sand of the beach was black, the trees had dark gold metallic glints to the bark and leaves. The sky was pure gold, with no sun or clouds. Atem was comforted when he was reminded of being stuck inside the Puzzle; after that the thought made him wince. It was slightly pathetic- of course nothing can go wrong with being stuck inside a gold nugget. Then Atem looked down at his hands. He was translucent again, a spirit. That didn't surprise him after living with Yugi- in fact, sometimes when he was in control, he kept looking down, expecting to see the ground through himself. What _did _surprise him was the silvery aura around him. It was the same hue as the silver void had been before, but why did that color keep popping up? Atem also noticed his clothes had changed. He was wearing what looked like Ancient Egyptian peasants' clothing, except it was bright gold. Silver and gold again. At least the color scheme was okay.

He stood up to stretch and examined his garb. Atem had a simple and standard wrap around his legs, which was common among the workers and even slaves in Ancient Egypt. He was barefoot, and was also wearing some type of one-sleeve tunic. The tunic didn't appear Egyptian, but it made him feel a bit better to be wearing something other than a kilt. Still, Atem couldn't help but feel a little resentful. King Atem, several-times-over savior of the world, forced to wear peasant clothes, even though they were golden and supernatural. Then he realized that sounded like his flaw again. He'd always had trouble with pride- feeling that he was better than anyone, like he was a Pharaoh and no one was allowed to do anything without his consent. The whole reason Atem dueled Yugi was to learn humility, grace, and acceptance of defeat.

Atem began to pace, recalling the stories his father told him of the Land of the Dead. It was a long and twisting path to the Judgement Hall, and to the Judgement itself. Your soul was weighed on a set of scales by Anubis and his father Osiris, the retired god of the dead who passed the role to his son. On one side was you soul, and on the other was the Feather of Truth.

If your soul was lighter, you went to paradise; if the feather was lighter, if you were a bad person, the demon Ammit would devour your soul. A very likely reason he was often called Ammit the Devourer.

Atem shuddered and began walking faster. His time with Yugi had taught him goodness and purity, added with all the saving-the-world stuff, so his soul was probably safe. However, he couldn't dispel his doubts. The Seal of Orichalcos always haunted him. And in the first weeks of his new life in the Puzzle, he had done things he hadn't had the heart to tell Yugi about. When they first met Tea, for example, she was being threatened by a mugger. At the time, Atem had remember nothing except to protect the innocent, but instead of simply helping Tea, he had sent the thief to the Shadow Realm. Yugi didn't remember any of that since, in his panic in the first month, Atem took total control of Yugi's body and shunted his soul to the farthest corner. It was a long time before Atem trusted his partner enough to let him know what was going on.

He knelt before the striped river again and studied the shifting surface, trying to remember more. When he had finally gotten his memory back, it only gave him what he knew right before he was sealed in the Puzzle, not what he had already forgotten. Atem dipped his hand hesitantly in the water, and a bit of information came back to him. When an Ancient Egyptian was buried, everything in the service was done in preparation for the journey to the Judgement Hall. The body was buried with clay statues called _shabti, _or servants, and a _Book of the Dead _for a guide. Even the mummification was to prepare…

_The Book of the Dead! _Atem pulled his hands out of the water and stood up, splattering some of the river on his golden clothes, which dried instantly. _The Book _was a compass, a reference, an ancient GPS system, and most spirits' only lead to find Paradise. That was why even poor families who couldn't afford mummification tried to provide their loved ones with a copy. Atem held out his hand, sure his _Book _had to be somewhere, and concentrated. Sure enough, a faintly glowing copy of an old, dry, frankly unimpressive book (yes, a papyrus book- not a scroll, for some reason) appeared on his hand. He was about to open it when there was a cracking sound and several dozen piles of rocks and dirt materialized from thin air a few yards above his head and plummeted to the ground. None of it hit him, but dust flew, and soon his whole body was gray-brown with grit- except his golden clothing, which seemed to be able to repel just about any kind of mess. When the dust cleared, he was encircled by a huge ring of dirt. Atem spotted what looked like a stone nose in one pile and realized this must be what was left of his clay _shabti_. Sighing, he stepped out of the circle and opened his _Book of the Dead_. Atem was expecting text, maybe directions like _Turn left on the fourth tree on your right,_ but instead each page was blank. For a split second he began to panic, but the _Book _flipped back to the first page by itself, and a glowing red outline of a hand etched itself onto the papyrus.

_It's like an identity check, _Atem realized. Everyone had their own guide, and if a spirit tried to use another's _Book, _it wouldn't work. Atem put his hand on his _Book of the Dead, _making contact despite not being solid, and watched the handprint gleam silver and vanish. Then an arrow, covered with hieroglyphs so small they looked like little scribbles, appeared floating a couple inches above the page. It was pointing behind him.

He carefully followed the arrow, trying to beat the dust out of his hair with one hand, until he was at the edge of the forest. Up close, it looked even more dangerous. Faint silver lights flickered through it, and Atem wondered if they were other spirits. Then he realized the arrow was gone. He turned the _Book _to the next page hopefully, and sure enough, a new arrow blinked to life. This one faced a different direction, Atem noted, and it pointed straight toward the forest.

Part of Atem didn't want to leave the beach. The forest looked dark and forbidding. Most of him knew that if he stayed stayed on the beach, that was what he would do… for the rest of eternity. Atem would rather take his chances with Ammit. Besides, he never was one to refuse a challenge.

Holding his _Book of the Dead _out in front of him to light his way, and trying to shake the rest of the gritty _shabti _remains out of his hair, Atem walked confidently into the Land of the Dead.


	3. Forest of Spirits

It was English at Domino High, two weeks after Atem had departed. Yugi was sitting with his head in his hands, not listening to a word as his teacher droned on about… something. Possibly English past and future tenses. Atem had been much more interested in learning the language arts than he was-for some reason, he had a natural gift for learning languages. Sometimes he would come out of the Puzzle in spirit form and sit, legs crossed, in the empty desk a few rows away. Yugi was pretty sure he was the only one who could see him. A couple of times, when the teacher was asking a particularly hard question, Atem would take control for a minute and and answer smugly. Then he would sit back, coolly accepting the teacher's praise and ignoring the groans, sighs, and facepalms from Tristan, Joey, and Tea. When Atem and Yugi got home, Atem would stand over him, coaching him on homework and correcting nearly everything, until Yugi just told Atem to do it for him. Usually he did.

Yugi missed those days.

He hadn't realized it, but he'd come to depend on the spirit. Atem was like the older brother he never had. Yugi was encouraged by his reliability and confidence. He tried to hide the loneliness when he was out with his friends, but when he was alone-more alone than he had ever been for over two years-he felt like Atem had torn off part of his soul and taken it with him when he left. Yugi lost interest in school and even Duel Monsters-everything was a stinging reminder of the bet two years of his life, despite the world almost being destroyed several times.

Yugi's head drooped onto his desk, not caring about what the teacher might think of his total blatant disregard for listening. In spite of his exhaustion and misery, he still had a spark of happiness: Yugi was absolutely confident that no matter where Atem was or what he was doing, he was in a better place than Yugi was right now.

~*~Q~*~

Atem was absolutely confident that no matter where Yugi was or what he was doing, he was in a better place than Atem was right now.

It was impossible to judge time in the forest, but he felt like he'd been walking for days. The only light came from the glowing arrow of the _Book_, which blinked and turned erratically. Atem tried to figure out how long the arrow pointed in one direction by counting his footsteps. Sometimes the arrow would stay for only three or four footsteps before disappearing and making him flip the page and find a new one, but once Atem counted to around 18,060 before the arrow turned again. On top of all that, he wasn't alone in the forest. Some small glowy things-possibly mosquitoes-were buzzing around, getting in his hair and nipping him anywhere they could reach. The mosquitoes seemed repelled by Atem's magic clothing, bout they still left welts on his face, neck, arms, shoulders, calves and bare feet. He was a translucent embodiment of the spiritual energies that make up a person's very being, yet he was still being driven crazy by itching...wonderful. Atem wondered how the mosquitoes got there-were they simply there to make the journey more unpleasant, or were they sprits of slapped bugs waiting for revenge? That sounded so ridiculous, Atem finally gave up waving them away and tried to ignore the mosquitoes as he trudged on.

Besides mosquitoes, he also met other spirits. Unlike him, they seemed lost and confused, and when he tried to talk to them, they simply stared right through him. Atem knew these were the spirits of those lost for hundreds or thousands of years. He wanted to help them find their way, but his _Book of the Dead _stopped working when he even just got too close. Eventually, Atem had to give up and move on. He knew if Yugi was there, he would insist on staying until the time he led all the spirits out of the forest, which would be never. The journey to Paradise (or worse) had to be your quest and yours alone; it was impossible to have help. Yugi was pure and innocent, which would suit him fine in modern Domino City, but Ancient Egypt was a bit harsher. Most of its culture didn't quite have a "good-and-evil" theme; it was more about keeping order and loyalty to the rightful ruler. That was why a lot of Ancient Egyptian lifestyles were based off of 'eat or be eaten, but don't bite off more than you can chew.' Yugi would barely last a week in that kind of food chain.

_The Book of the Dead's _arrow blinked out again, and Atem noted with surprise that there was only one page left. He turned it cautiously, and the last arrow flickered to life. Most of the hieroglyphs that were scrawled on its surface were still too small to read, but he caught something about 'end of one journey' and 'the river calls next.' Atem hoped that meant that he would get out of the forest soon, so he set off.

Yet another problem of the journey was the total monotony. In spirit form, Atem didn't feel the need to eat, sleep, or drink-which was good considering the trees didn't bear fruit, and the only water was the river, which looked somewhat poisonous anyway. However, not dealing with fatigue also meant there was nothing to distract him from the absolute boredom of walking for hours and hours on end. Also, it gave him time to reflect on what had been… and what was to come. Had Atem been good enough to escape Ammit?

To pass the time, Atem began counting footsteps again. About 5,000 steps later, the _Book's _silver arrow finally vanished for the last time. Looking up from the ground, he realized he was at the very edge of the forest, so he stepped through the few remaining trees and found himself in a circular clearing that looked like a combination boat dock and helipad. The odd river had appeared again to his far right, and the ground had changed from hard dirt to more black sand. More trees were on the other side of the clearing, too-so basically, it looked like someone had decided to uproot a random patch of trees just to ruin a perfectly good forest. Glancing at the finished _Book of the Dead _in his hands, Atem wondered what to do next. Then his _Book _crumbled to dust.

The once-king flinched and stared at the useless powder he held. Now that it was gone, he had no guide to lead him. This little beach was the only spot with no trees he had found since the beach. That, added to the fact that most of his_ Book _was disintegrated by is feet, meant this spot was a turning point- something important was about to happen. But what? And how would he make it to his Judgement with no _Book?_

A voice from nowhere said, "You could try asking me."

Atem dropped the _Book of the Dead's _remains and turned, but no one was behind him. He turned back just in time to see a spirit emerge from a gold flash of light, look him up and down, and say, "State your name and business."

He was tall and stately, with dark eyes and tanned skin. His hair and odd, forked beard look slightly off-white, as if he had aged decades in seconds, and his face was etched with weary lines. Still, he seemed regal. His eyes shone with life even in death. His cream-colored feathers seemed to shimmer with white and gold.

Oh, yes… he was also a seven-foot-tall bird with a human head.

Ancient Egyptians believed that there were five parts to the soul. One of them was called the _ba_, and it often appeared as part bird so it could move freely away from a person's actual body. Atem couldn't help but stare slightly. Then he realized the _ba _was still waiting for an answer. "I am Atem, son of Aknamkanon."

"And your business?"

"I am dead," Atem said simply. "Who are you?"

The birdlike spirit snorted slightly. "You might want to be a bit more polite, son of Aknamkanon. But to answer your question, I am Desjardins, a guardian _ba_. I came to make sure you are who you say you are, and more importantly, a spirit-mortals are not normally allowed past this point. I will now test you. Are you ready?"

Atem had been thinking that "Desjardins" was kind of an odd name for an Egyptian spirit, but he snapped back to attention with a start. "Wait! What kind of test do you mean?"

"I mean," Desjardins said impatiently, "that I will merely ask you some questions and you must answer honestly. If you pass, you may continue your journey. If you fail, you will most likely be doomed to wander the forest for all eternity. Clear?" Atem nodded confidently. "Very well. We shall begin. First question: How did you die?"

Atem blinked. "I'm not sure, actually." The _ba _raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Five thousand years ago, I was sealed in-" he hesitated, did Desjardins know about the Items? "-a magical golden artifact. With the help of my modern friends, I was released from my prison, but I can only assume my body died on its own."

"Hm." Desjardins frowned, but he seemed to accept it. "Fine. Next question…"

The test continued, and Atem answered as best he could. He still wondered why an Egyptian spirit had a not-so-Egyptian name, but he figured that anyone who believed in this afterlife would probably come to it. Atem didn't have a lot of time to ponder it, though- the spirit pushed him with challenging and probing questions, and the look on his face, like a teacher glaring at a know-it-all student, made him feel a bit uneasy. Finally, Desjardins announced the last question. "You claim to have been a pharaoh, yet everyone knows all kings were buried with _shabti _to do their bidding. Where are yours?"

Oh. "My clay servants eroded long ago. I tried to summon them, but...they didn't do me much good." Atem tried futilely to brush off some of the dirt that stubbornly coated his hair and skin- some dignified King of Games he was. _No, _he reminded himself, _Yugi is now. You played. You lost. Now, for Ra's sake, swallow your pride and concentrate on the task at hands!_

The birdlike spirit was still scrutinizing him. "And?"

"That's it, really. Most _shabti_ can stand for thousands of years, but I suppose mine just weren't that lucky."

"I see." Desjardins looked amused, like he was trying not to laugh. "Very well, Atem, you may pass." He tapped his talon against the ground, and seconds later, a rumble shook the earth. Toward the edge of the clearing, an Egyptian riverboat erupted from the sand. It was made out of waterside plants that had been tightly woven together, but it was flatter, smaller, and more square than the boats he had rode in on the Nile, as well as the fact that it had no sails. More than anything, it resembled a floating reed rug with a rudder. "This is the second half of your journey. Normally, this is where your _shabti _would come in handy, but you'll have to make do on your own."

"But how will I move it?" Atem pointed out, frowning. Desjardins gestured with a wing toward the boat docked on the sand. The former pharaoh looked more closely, and on it he saw a simple wooden paddle.

"You'll have to manage that yourself, _Your Highness._" There was a hint of condescension in the _ba_'s tone that made Atem flush slightly. "At any rate, congratulations for passing the test. However, make no mistake: The second leg of your journey will be no easier than the first, and your next challenge will not be so easy to succeed. Farewell, Atem." Desjardins took flight, and his wings stirred up black sand as he hovered over the once-king. The he soared off and vanished in a golden shimmer a few yards over Atem's head.

Atem paused for a second, then strode to the boat. He had never actually paddled before, but if he could become the King of Games and beat back any evil in his way, being a part-time boat steersman didn't seen too hard. Carefully kneeling on the woven floor, Atem grasped his paddle and dipped it into the water with a motion that was somehow both graceful and awkward at the same time. It took him a little while to figure out how to get started, but once he did, it took him almost no time to push off. The little boat began gliding steadily over the water.

~~End Chapter 3~~

A/N: Hello, Akirys here. Took me a while to figure out how to add author's notes… at any rate, thanks for reading! Double thanks to Jillian Mixon, Goldenheart13, and Atakiri Mizuyuki for being the only three people to review!:D (Really: Only Three.) This is my first fanfiction, published or no, and it's a lot of fun to write. But most importantly: Disclaimers! *groan* I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, nor have I ever, etc, you've all heard this before. Also, did any other fans of The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan catch the reference? It wasn't big enough to put this story in the crossover section, so extreme disclaimation(is that a word?): I do not own The Kane Chronicles or Desjardins either, in fact I haven't done a story with OCs yet. Some minor background info for non-fans of Rick Riordan: Desjardins was French. The Kane Chronicles was about Egyptian myths and was actually somewhat similar to YGO, in a way. Therefore, Desjardins is a weird French name for an Egyptian spirit, but it's still fun to finally say what happened to him. It's my tribute to a very awesome, influential author, as I tend to absorb a lot of things other write, sometimes even unconsciously. Also, if you're wondering about my scene break ~*~Q~*~: Why not? Qs are so much fun! :P And finally, here's that great cliché everyone knows and loves: Review!


	4. Forethoughts

How long had it been?

It was impossible to judge any amount of time-trying to count off ten seconds might have taken ten hours, for all Atem knew. He was no longer walking, so he tried to keep track of his even paddle strokes instead of his footsteps. Each stroke could've taken two days, but counting was all he could do. One thousand strokes. Two thousand. Three. Four… twenty. Twenty thousand seconds? Hours? Decades?

It felt like an eternity.

Dragging his paddle backward took almost no effort, but backing water was like hitting a brick wall with a stick. If Atem lifted his paddle at all, the murky water from the striped river would splash, and its droplets would sting his face and skin. Atem considered directing his riverboat toward the clear, sparkling streak of river in the middle, as it looked much less toxicant than the stream's edges, but something told him that would be dangerous. For one thing, he was recalling more Ancient Egyptian myths about it. Every night, the sun god Ra would ride his sun boat down this river, beating back the monsters of the dark. His energy was so powerful, Atem figured the clear stripe had formed from the water being cleansed by Ra's boat for so long. He didn't want to disrespect Ra by in any way by following the ancient sun boat's path with his lowly craft, so he stuck near the edge-Atem was beginning to understand why learning humility was so important for this journey.

Another, more confusing reason for avoiding the center: The moment his riverboat had begun to travel, Atem knew there was a certain path he had to take, and each path was different for everyone. It was a straight river, but Atem could somehow tell what his route should be, like it was etched into his mind. He knew that if he turned the boat, or even tilted a single degree out of place, he would lose his way. His mind-map would vanish, and backtracking would be almost impossible. Lost in a perfectly straight river for all eternity… Atem could think of no worse punishment.

_Well, maybe one,_ a little voice in his head said. He pushed it away and began to stroke vigorously, like he was trying to push his emotion away with the paddle. At least it was easy to distract himself-here, there were not only more mosquitoes, but Atem occasionally saw ominous shadows under the water. He had absolutely no idea what he would do if one of them attacked-a five-foot stick wouldn't do much good against an eleven-foot crocodile. He was also weary from travel-not tired, just severely mentally strained. Sleeping might have helped, but it was impossible. Even if it was, Atem doubted he could even close his eyes, with the rushing water, murky shadows...and the fear of what was to come.

It was impossible to deny the Judgement now. Though he tried to hide it, Atem was terrified. There was a reason he had been called Yami-dark. He had tangled with the Shadows, and he would now face the consequences. There was no way his shadow-twisted soul could be lighter than the Feather of Truth. Had he been trapped in the Millennium Puzzle for thousands of years and let out so he could save the world, only to have it end like this?

Atem was so distracted, he barely noticed when his craft bumped against another black, sandy beach. He looked up to see an enormous silver beach jutting from among the dark trees, sticking out like a peacock in a flock of crows. Careful not to put his bare feet in the water, Atem stepped out of the riverboat and stared at the Hall of Judgement. It looked like a cross between an Ancient Egyptian temple and the White House, only twice as big. The Judgement Hall seemed about a hundred yards away, so with a heavy heart, Atem began to walk as he heard his boat crumble to ash behind him. There was a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach, and there wasn't really an exact word to describe it, but Atem supposed the closest was: Condemned.

The journey to the Hall of Judgement was too short, and when Atem got there, he found someone waiting for him. He was tall and lean, wearing golden Egyptian robes. His body was human, but he had the head of a chestnut-brown jackal with sharp red eyes and tall, pointed had on a golden collar engraved with hieroglyphics. Atem knew immediately who he was: Anubis, the god of the dead.

"We've been expecting you," Anubis said smoothly. "Come." Without another word, the jackal-headed god turned and marched toward the bronze doors, which opened by themselves. Anubis gestured to Atem to follow and strode through. Atem hesitated, gathering his courage, and conjured up an image of Yugi in his mind for luck. Then he stepped past the gate and went after Anubis.

Judgement time.

A/N Sorry it took me so long to put this up when it's probably the shortest chapter. And yes, I know it's a "murder" not a "flock" of crows, but that felt like it would have messed up the flow of the story a little. Fine, that's lame… I was having trouble thinking of similes okay? Thanks to... Actually, no new reviews! :/ Thanks Atakiri Mizuyuki for letting me bounce ideas off you(and possibly bug you, I don't know). So all of you who read without reviewing: I have a proposition for you. Probably the #1 reason people don't review is they're too lazy (no offense) or they don't know what to say. So here's a solution: You like it, type "y" in the review box and send. You don't like it, type "n" in the review box and send. Capiche? Good. Of course, I would like a little more info, but still, I'm here to say it's absolutely fine to give me a one-letter review. Seriously, people. The reason I don't review everything is because I read a lot of fanfic over my Nintendo, which is more of a Web 1.0 tool so I have to wait for the actual computer to review, and I forget a lot. Apologies. Anyway, thanks for reading!


	5. Hall of Reflection (or The Topaz Soul)

A/N: I now have more respect for Rick Riordan, who writes the world's most painful cliffhangers. Anyone who has ever read The Mark of Athena completely knows what I'm talking about. O_O Anyway, thanks for Goldenheart13 and Bluexapple (wow! I got a 'y'!) for the reviews, and Dragonblaze66 for the PM.

Plus, I finished writing out the end of JotP! *confetti party* If I'm going to have a sequel, I need help finding the answer to a major plot point: Did Mai ever exactly find out that Yugi and the Pharaoh were two different people? She obviously knows magic exists, but I'm not sure if the whole Yami/Yugi thing was actually explained to her.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!. (Really, is it so necessary for me to say that? Everyone knows already.)

~*~Q~*~

Once the doors closed, the pavilion was long and dim. Little colored balls of energy floated around, providing rainbow light and casting eerie shadows on the dark marble walls. Rich mahogany doors, spaced about ten feet apart, lined both sides of the silent hall.

"We call this the Hall of Reflection," Anubis told Atem in a low voice. "Hall of Judgement is a misnomer, really-this is the only hallway, the place where you'll be judged is much less prominent. Here, spirits reflect on their life; on their choices and mistakes. Think about yours. We'll be arriving shortly."

Atem did. He thought about his birth, his early life, his friends and beliefs. He thought about his actions as a pharaoh and the battle against the dark one, Zorc. He thought about his choice to erase his memory and be sealed in the Millennium Puzzle, about his new friends 5,000 years later. Duels. Saving the world. Him repeating history to find his name and be released. His musing took maybe forty-five minutes; his life seemed surprisingly short, compared to the endless hallway.

Anubis studied Atem with a crimson jackal eye. "You are done?"

"Yes."

"Good. Keep walking."

He obeyed, matching his stride to the god's. He may have eased his pride and most of his dignity, but old habits were hard to break.

At last, they reached the room of judgement. It was surprisingly small-about the size of a classroom, but twice as high. The walls, floor, and ceiling were done in gold tile, and toward the back wall was a large throne made of ivory and decorated with hieroglyphics similar to the ones on the jackal god's collar. In the corner, a huge, doorless opening loomed. It was impossible to see anything inside, but the ominous aura made Atem shudder inwardly-he thought he could guess what was inside.

About three quarters into the room was a small pedestal, and on it was a set of scales. It was so big, each cup could have held a pineapple. This was the instrument used for the Weighing of the Heart ceremony, and Atem's heart was next.

Anubis stepped to the center of the room. " I must call my father-he will want to be a part of this." He turned toward the shadowy doorway and shouted, "Osiris!"

A man materialized from the darkness. He was even taller than Anubis, but he had on white robes instead of Anubis's golden. He was wearing the traditional fake beard and head-covering for pharaohs, as Ancient Egyptian's usually hadn't been allowed to see a pharaoh's hair-that rule had been overlooked for Atem, for obvious reasons. The most unusual thing about the man was that his skin was a deep shade of blue like a turquoise sky.

Atem wasn't sure what to do, so he simply stepped forward toward the scales and nodded respectfully. "Lord Osiris."

Osiris's eyes-the irises were a unique silver-white like dandelion fluff-sparkled. "Atem. We've been expecting you for quite some time."

"So I've heard," Atem said wryly.

He smiled. "We haven't seen a new soul for a while. You see, not many spirits come to this afterlife any more, since Egypt was dominant so long ago, and everyone has forgotten the old ways. In fact, there used to be a council of 42 others to decide a spirit's fate, but they...retired, I suppose. Now it's just Anubis and me left." Osiris glanced first at Atem, then at the jackal-headed god. "I don't think we need to take the necessary precautions, but…" He shouted a command word in Ancient Egyptian, and a rope of black energy shot from the mysterious opening like a frenzied snake and twined itself around Atem's wrists. "My apologies, but we've heard your shadow powers can be quite unpredictable when you are in danger." Atem tested his bonds carefully. The black magic filled his arms with a strange, cold burning sensation, like an icy fire. It didn't hurt, but the chains didn't bode well because a) Osiris thought he was in danger and b) it _was_ pretty humiliating.

Anubis strode to the set of scales, as his father went to sit in the ivory throne. "We will commence the judgement of Atem, the firstborn son of the pharaoh Aknamkanon, immediately." The jackal god looked Atem in the eye. "To do this, I will need your heart. Keep calm and don't move-this will only take a second."Atem opened his mouth to ask what would happen, but before he could say anything, Anubis pressed his thumb against his forehead and everything dissolved in a whirl of color.

For a second Atem wasn't conscious of anything; then he began to struggle to get out of...wherever. The place was completely alien yet somehow familiar, and Atem had the sense he was somewhere between his regular spiritual body and his soul room. Then he felt a tug, like someone-maybe Anubis- was trying to pry something away from him. Atem had absolutely no idea where he was or what was happening, but he tried to keep Anubis from taking the thing anyway. After a brief and silent yet furious battle of wills, Anubis managed to yank the whatever-it-was away from Atem, and the weird, colorful void faded to black.

Atem woke up on the floor of the room of judgement, feeling incredibly dizzy, and got to his feet slowly; trying to control his nausea wasn't easy.

"Interesting," Anubis said calmly, not even looking out of breath. "You have quite a strong mind."

Atem didn't trust himself to say something civil, so he kept his mouth shut. Then he noticed Anubis was holding an object about the size of a pomegranate. It hadn't been there before. "What is that?"

The jackal-headed god held it out to him. "Don't you know?"

It was ovular and smooth, and it seemed to glow from within. The gemstone-like object was mostly a fiery red-orange, with gold shimmering in the middle and strange black patches that seemed to float throughout it. Atem had never seen it before, but it looked familiar. "Isn't that some type of topaz?"

"Close," Osiris said from his throne. "Look again."

He did, and suddenly Atem saw an image of himself staring at himself from the core of the jewel. Then the pieces clicked. "It's my soul!"

Osiris nodded. "Yes. One's soul often takes the form of a gemstone, and that 'soul stone,' as it is called, represents the individual's personality. Yours, Atem, represents a scarlet topaz. It symbolizes your fiery passion, your burning pride, and those shadows symbolize your darkness within. This is what will be used in the Weighing of the Heart ceremony. Do you think you're ready?"

Atem partially wanted to abandon dignity, scream _No! _and run for the exit, but two things stopped him. One, the black energy chains the still encircled his wrists prevented him from moving very much. Two: King of Games or not, he would never back down from a challenge.

So instead, he swallowed and croaked out a slightly hoarse, "Yes." Then again, stronger: "Yes, I am. I'm ready."

"Good." Osiris called to the room, "Feather of Truth!"

Almost immediately, there was a burst of light in the air, and a shining, white, plumed feather appeared, level with the tip of the scales. Anubis caught it neatly as it began to descend. "This is the Feather of Truth, sometimes known as the Feather of Ma'at, and it will be weighed against your heart. My father handed his role as the god of the dead to me, so he will merely be overseeing."

Atem was almost visibly shaking-almost. Outward he stood tall and calm as Anubis began to put the topaz soul in the right cup. As he crossed to the other side to put the feather in, Anubis looked at Atem, his jackal gaze softening. "I do hope you make it, Atem. It has been so long…"

"Indeed," Osiris said softly. "You deserve this."

Time seemed slowed. Atem's mind was whirling. How could that light, delicate feather out weigh his blackened soul? This wasn't a duel-a thousand Tristans, Teas, and Joeys couldn't help him through this. Anubis slipped the feather into its place. The very air was tense as a loaded bow. Atem was starting to long for the safety of the black-sand beach, and he even felt a prickle of homesickness for the fire of the land of the living.

Stillness. Then the scales shuddered an began to tilt. They began to sway…

~*~Q~*~

You guys are lucky I'm not an authoress who quits the story or refuses to update until she gets enough comments. Don't take any chances-review!


	6. The Judgement

Wow-cliffhangers are fun! I'm such a hypocrite-cliffhangers drive me nuts, most of the time-but they are really convenient to stop at and they apparently raise interest. My reviews went up 50%! Well, it just went from 6 to 9 as of now, but still. Thanks to Bluexapple (yay! a !) and two guests. This is the penultimate chapter, so thanks in advance for sticking with me. I think my first ever multichapter fanfic went really well! Oh, and I just saw the movie, The Pyramid of Light, and while it was good ("TALK LATER! RUN NOW!") I just want you all to know I am completely disregarding that version of Anubis. I'm sticking with my OC. Wait, can you call an original version of a non-original character yours? I have no idea...best not to think about it too hard. Anyways, without further adieu, I present the sixth chapter of JotP. Brace yourselves for the climax, people!

~*Q*~

...and sway, and sway, and sway…

After a few minutes, Atem realized the scales had no intention of slowing down. If anything, they seemed to be rocking back and forth harder than ever.

"Why won't it stop?" he asked no one in particular; he mostly wanted the painful tension to break.

Osiris glanced at Atem for a second, but his eyes quickly flicked back to the scales. "The scales are assessing your entire life. They go through all the choices you made before the judgement is finally decided."

Atem watched his soul tip toward the floor. "Does that mean the only thing that counts is the last act of your life?

Anubis's crimson gaze had never left the scales, and his pointed ears were flat against his skull. "No, it takes the average of… oh, it's really quite hard to explain. Just watch."

He complied. In a weird way, Atem could tell what point the scales were at in his life. Right now, for example, he was about seven or eight years old, and he had just met Mana. During this innocent period, the cup with his soul seemed to be generally higher than the feather-but not always. Atem's spirits rose and fell as the topaz did; he couldn't tell if it was just from nervous mood swings or if he was actually feeling what the soul stone was. At random times, mostly when the feather was highest, he could feel his shadow powers humming, but his binds seemed to keep it at bay.

The odd trio watched in silence. The scales swayed-soul, feather, soul again. Then they began to recount the battle against Zorc and the Thief King. Anubis crossed his arms and looked on with approval as Atem's soul rose higher and higher, though his ears remained pressed anxiously against his head.

Finally, the feathers side his bottom with a reverberating _thunk._ Atem prayed the Judgement would end their-at the point of his sacrifice. Of course not. Suddenly his soul began to sink.

"Why is it falling?" Atem cried. "What was I doing then?"

"That represents your time trapped in the Millennium Puzzle," Osiris said gravely. "You were in the Shadows so long, they darkened you as well."

Atem could only watch helplessly as the side with his topaz soul drooped lower and lower, more and more slowly… and then stopped.

Atem paled severely.

In the darkness, Ammit snarled.

But nothing happened. The air still hummed in anxiety. No monster lunged out. Atem tried to inquire, but his voice came out as a weak, hoarse cough.

Luckily, Anubis understood anyway. "You're still in the Puzzle. As you made no choices, the scales cannot move." On his throne, Osiris looked relieved, and Atem felt a flash of gratitude that the two gods seemed to genuinely care bout the fate of each spirit.

Time ticked by. At last, the scales wobbled. The topaz began to gradually level out with the feather, and Atem knew the final stage-his last two years-had come. Osiris was leaning forward, his silvery-white eyes intense. Anubis was so still and frozen, he could've easily passed as an ice sculpture.

Duelist Kingdom. Battle City. KC Grand Championship…Atem could tell the scales skipped his time-travel redo, which was a bit of a letdown. His life was almost over, and his soul was still heavier than the feather-the Seal of Orichalcos incident had been worse for him than he realized. The Ceremonial Duel was judged. Now-final verdict.

Atem closed his eyes. His last moments were replaying themselves...him willingly leaving his new friends behind, with his thumb sticking up in a thumbs-up sign. He never really knew why he liked that little gesture so much, but was always a comforting, odd little way to say thanks, good job, everything's OK.

Nothing was okay right now.

Atem's eyes opened, and the scales had seconds to go. They apparently were now 'taking the average' or whatever Anubis had started to say. His topaz soul tipped at a turtle's pace…

…began to slow even more…

…stopped with a faint squeak…

…and his soul…

…was slightly…

…lighter than the feather,

The black energy bindings dissolved, and Atem gasped and fell to his knees, dignity forgotten. The feather vanished the way it came, and the soul-stone turned into a silver flash of light and was sucked back into Atem's forehead. He didn't notice- he was too busy trying to keep the tears out of his eyes.

Anubis strode over to Atem, wearing a smile that, instead of showing off his fangs, made his jackal head look a lot nicer. "Congratulations, Atem. Your journey is at an end." He held out a hand to help Atem to his feet.

"Yes," Osiris agreed. He waved his hand, and all the dust, weariness, and injuries (how he got them, he had no idea) that Atem had accumulated evaporated like mist. "We won't keep you here any longer. It's time for you to rest."

"Before you go," Anubis added with a mischievous glint in his crimson eye, "would you like to say hello to Ammit?"

Atem felt like someone had smacked him. "_What?"_

"Oh, it's alright," the jackal-headed god assured him. "He's really quite friendly around to the good souls."

"Friendly" was not a word Atem would usually use to describe Ammit the Devourer. "No, thank you…"

Osiris gave Anubis a dirty look and went to stand directly in front of Atem. "Understandable. Are you ready to go?"

Atem took a deep breath. "Yes."

The retired god waved a hand, and toward the back of the room a doorway opened, this one glowing in white. "Paradise used to be called Aaru, or The Field of Reeds, but after thousands of years of time on our hands, we've…ah, modernized a bit. Don't be too surprised."

Atem nodded and stepped to the doorway-he had done it, finally, after an eon of heartache. Atem put a hand through, and it tingled, but not unpleasantly. He turned just enough to call a farewell to Osiris and Anubis, and right before his head went through, he heard Osiris quietly say, "Rest in peace, Atem."

For the final time, the world faded to black.

~*Q*~

And this chapter's a wrap! Did I blow the judgement out of proportion a bit? Was it too long? I hope not, but the only way I know for sure is if you guys REVIEW. *cough, hint, cough* Anyway, this is not the last chapter-I have an epilogue coming next. It was my favorite to write since it has my OC in it. Well, kind of an OC. Sort of. Well… it depends on your point of view.


	7. Epilogue--Light

The last chapter of my first multi-chapter fanfic ever… my first fanfic in general _ever,_ really. I feel like I should be saying some speech about the way Yu-Gi-Oh has changed my life, and how it started my anime obsession and got me into fanfiction (as well as making me flinch every time someone says "Egypt"), blah blah blah, but I'm just going to give you the epic finale instead.

I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh.

~*Q*~

Atem woke up in Paradise, in what felt like a huge, plush bed. He rubbed his eyes, disoriented, and tried to think. Looking around his new home, Atem noticed three things.

One: He was in a spacious, two-room apartment, decorated in shades of gold, chocolate, and tan. His bedroom was simple yet clean, and sunlight streamed through translucent brown curtains. From what he could see, the adjacent room seemed impressively modern, with appliances like an oven, a microwave, a stove, and a few others. He even caught a glimpse of what looked like a silver Duel Disk on a table. Atem figured all the electronics were more magic to the other Ancient Egyptian spirits than going to Paradise was per se.

Atem's second realization: His clothing had changed, _again. _This time he was wearing his traditional Pharaoh's garb, but this version glowed in a soft silver, which lit up his still-translucent skin. Atem could see a closet with more of his robes inside, though he didn't quite know why, as they were all completely identical.

Third realization: There was a strange woman perched patiently on the edge of his bed.

She was beautiful, and she sat with a kind of easy grace and dignity. Her dark hair was so long it piled up on the bed behind her, and her eyes were an unusual yet alluring shade of golden brown. Her white dress shimmered with color.

After last night's experience-had it been last night, or just a few minutes ago?-Atem didn't feel like he could be surprised or scared any longer, so he decided to start simple. "Hello."

"Atem." The woman replied. She didn't seem inclined to explain any further.

"And you are…?" he pressed.

"A friend," she responded lightly.

"All right, then," Atem sighed, sitting up and crossing his legs under the blanket. "Let me be a little more specific: Who are you, and why are you in my room?"

"I admire you, Atem," the woman said plainly.

"Great," he muttered. "I'm officially dead and I've still got fangirls tracking me down."

She was too stately to blush, but she did slightly raise one eyebrow. "No, Atem, not for your dueling skills, but for something far more important. Five thousand years ago, you sacrificed yourself-your very _soul-_to fight the darkness. Even more impressive, you managed to make yourself light again afterward."

"But I haven't," Atem pointed out, too confused to wonder how the heck she knew all this. "I'm Yami. I'll always _be _Yami."

"True, the Judgement was a bit of a close call," the woman admitted, "but you managed to pass it. After all that, most people wouldn't have even _existed _to be Judged."

Her form began to spark with white light. Atem watched warily, surprised at her intensity. "_You _literally stared Darkness in the face-twice-and survived to say so. You regained your purity after all you went through. In some ways, Atem, you are even lighter than your hikari. And that is why I have a gift for you."

The woman extended her hand-tanned and lean, slightly lighter than Atem's Egyptian skin-and he tensed. Then a glimmer of light appeared on her palm. When it vanished, a white mirror about the size of a cantaloupe had taken its place.

Atem eyed it skeptically. "What is it?"

"Watch." She said simply. The woman tapped the mirror's glass surface with one delicate finger and said clearly, "Domino City."

Instantly, the glass rippled, and a very familiar skyline appeared on the surface.

Atem looked at the woman in amazement. "How did you-"

"Try it." She held her hand out to him. Atem only hesitated a second before accepting the gift. Turning the mirror over in his hands, Atem touched the surface, his throat dry, and spoke.

"Yugi Mutou."

The image shimmered and changed again. This time it showed a boy sleeping peacefully, his face illuminated by the blue light of an alarm clock. Atem couldn't see the numbers, but he could tell it was night, despite the sun filtering through his own bedroom window. As he watched, Yugi shifted in his bed slightly. Atem couldn't help but wonder if his aibou still missed him.

For a moment Atem couldn't speak; he pressed his fingertips lightly against Yugi's face, then finally turned to the woman on the edge of his bed. "Why?"

"I told you," she said patiently. "Now, in the afterlife, you have everything you want…except your friends. This mirror allows you to see anyone and anything in the mortal world, but only for a total of eighty minutes throughout each day, so use it sparingly."

In wonder, Atem ran his fingers over the glass and murmured random names: "Joey Wheeler." "Tristan Taylor." "Tea Gardner." He saw Kaiba, still awake, typing away on a laptop. Rebecca was fast asleep in a pink bed, with a Duel Monsters strategy book on the nightstand beside her. Marik Ishtar-it was daytime, wherever he was-was parking a motorcycle and dashing up to a huge stone building that seemed to be part of a college campus. At last, Atem looked back up at the woman, tears in his his eyes, and choked out a soft, "Thank you."

She merely nodded. "And now I must depart."

"Wait!" cried Atem, as she effortlessly stood. The woman glanced back and Atem locked eyes with her, determined not to look away. "Who…what _are _you?"

She hesitated, then smiled genuinely for the first time. "Goodbye, Atem," the woman said, and vanished in a flash.

Atem stared at the spot she had once been, utterly bewildered. Who _was _she-an Egyptian goddess, maybe? Then he realized: as the woman had last spoken, her voice had had the same mystic, echoing quality as the Creator of Light.

Was she…could she have been…? No. Impossible.

The once-pharaoh turned his attention back to the gift in his hand and spoke his hikari's name. In the mirror, the slowly-waking Yugi Mutou stirred, unaware that his yami was watching over him.

~*Q*~ And my first multi-chapter fanfic ever is DONE! Yay, cookie party! And now, just because I'm having too much fun, I'm going to prolong your misery by making you read the thank-you section.

So, first, thanks to all 6 of my reviewers: Goldenheart13, Atakiri Mizuyuki, Jillian Mixon, Bluexapple (wow! a :D! Best yet!), and two guests. Bluexapple gets first place (and a fake gold star) for reviewing on 3 out of 7 chapters. Heck, thanks to all 703 of my viewers. Despite the fact I only got reviews 1 out of 70.3 times, it's nice to know at least some people read and liked it. That reminds me, thanks to my followers and favoriters too. And to Dragonblaze66 for the PM.

Next, thanks to my family for not reading my journal when I wasn't around…I think. None of them belong to the Order of the Yu-Gi-Oh Fans, and I'm on a secret mission to find others. I keep dropping random hints ("I like the word Millennium") but no one's reacting. That reminds me: Zarion, you know who you are if you're reading this, and you're not supposed to be. Are you trying to mortify and/or kill me forever? You know the power of undiluted anime fanfiction is too great for you to comprehend! Except for that crossover One Last Theft by sirensbane. That was epic-if you like Artemis Fowl, I highly recommend it.

Finally, a special thank-you to Atakiri Mizuyuki and all other fanfic writers who directly or-more often-indirectly influenced and improved my writing. Atakiri and I had been PMing back and forth a lot, and while I haven't heard from her for a while, I want to say thanks for encouraging me, writing awesome stories, and teaching me the differences between hyphens and dashes. True life skills. I hope you keep writing too-I'm looking forward to the next chapter of Hostage.0! ^_^

I think these ANs have gone on long enough. L'heitraot, minna! Please feel free to PM or review!

~*Akirys*~


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